PSAC, private sector join forces to create more job opportunities

MANILA, Philippines —  The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) has teamed up with the SM Group, online job platform JobStreet by SEEK and business groups in a bid to open up more job opportunities and help address the job skills mismatch in the country.

The parties yesterday launched the Trabaho Para sa Bayan: J.O.B.S (Job Opportunities Building Skills), a nationwide campaign that commits the partners to accelerate job generation and provide a digital platform for job matching.

Teaming up for the initiative are the PSAC, the SM Group, JobStreet by SEEK, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as Philippine Exporters Confederation.

It seeks to contribute to nation-building through activities including a series of on-ground job fairs at SM Malls nationwide and daily online job fairs via JobStreet by SEEK’s online platform.

“We would like a lot of the people doing this job recruitment to work together so that we can really consolidate all our activities for job creation. It’s a job accelerator and also for the job upscaling. So if we can do that, it will really help our economy,” PSAC’s J.O.B.S. initiative head and SM Investments Corp. vice chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson said.

Composed of the country’s top business leaders, the PSAC is a government advisory body formed by President Marcos to provide inputs on best ways to grow the economy, to include generating employment as well as investments, given the crucial role of the private sector in the country’s economic development.

The campaign offers opportunities across a diverse range of focus industries, each playing a vital role in the economic landscape of the country.

The partnership will provide a digital platform for job seekers to find employment opportunities online, while industry groups committed to use the platform to make their job vacancies available online.

“JobStreet by SEEK has always been enthusiastic about these collaborations so long as it benefits our Filipino candidates and hirers. We’re honored to have been given the opportunity to work with other like-minded organizations, driving us to continue facilitating better job matches between employers and candidates across the country,” JobStreet by SEEK managing director for the Philippines Dannah Majarocon said.

The groundbreaking initiative kicked off yesterday with a whole-day job fair at the Music Hall in SM Mall of Asia.

Succeeding job fairs will be rolled out nationwide, such as in SM City San Jose Del Monte on May 16, SM City San Pedro Laguna on May 23 and SM City General Santos on May 30. More locations will be announced soon.

“With today’s gathering of giants of industries, big associations, and government leaders, we hope to contribute to providing employment opportunities to more of our fellow Filipinos,” SM Foundation executive director Deborah Sy said. - Rhodina Villanueva